After a pleasant Tuesday with a mix of clouds and sunshine and highs in the upper 50s to low 60s, Central New York can expect a shift in the weather starting Wednesday night. Light rain will develop and then become steadier through Thursday, bringing the coldest daytime highs in seven months.
Wednesday night into Thursday
The system will first bring sprinkles and light rain, then transition to a more persistent rain band that will linger into Thursday. Temperatures will dip into the lower‑mid 40s, and most of the region will see rain rather than snow. The Adirondacks and Tug Hill Plateau have the best chance for the rain to change to snow, with a possible wet‑snow mix over hills south of Syracuse late Thursday afternoon.
Thursday night to Friday
As the system moves east, it will merge with a coastal storm, spreading additional precipitation across parts of the Northeast and New York State. Forecasts call for the heaviest snow or rain‑to‑snow transition to affect eastern New York and areas just east of Central New York. For the immediate CNY area, a light rain‑to‑snow mix is expected, starting over higher elevations and potentially moving to lower elevations by Friday morning. Wind chills could drop into the upper 20s at dawn.
Friday will be a cold day with a light mix of snow, rain, and occasional graupel. The best chance for 1‑3 to 3‑6 inches of snow remains over the Adirondacks and Tug Hill Plateau through sunset. In Central New York, snow accumulation will likely be a trace to a coating, mainly on grassy surfaces, trees, and vehicles, especially at higher elevations. Highs will be in the upper 30s to near 40, with wind chills in the upper 20s in the morning and low 30s in the afternoon.
Friday night and weekend
Friday night should see widespread light rain and snow, with thin bands of slightly steadier precipitation that may change to all snow late at night. Accumulations are expected to be modest, though higher elevations could see up to 2‑4 inches. The remainder of the weekend looks to be overcast with occasional flurries and sprinkles.
Historically, Syracuse sees its first measurable snowfall (0.1″ or more) around November 4, so the area is a bit behind its typical schedule for the first snow of the season.
Original reporting: CNY Central WSTM (Sinclair) – local — read the source article.
